How to Be Mentally and Emotionally Prepared for Retirement

Even if you’re fortunate enough to have enough funds for your retirement, this isn’t a guarantee that you will have an easy and smooth transition to retirement.

That’s because your finances is just a small part of the happiness and well-being aspect of retirement. More importantly, you need to be mentally and emotionally prepared for your life once you have left the workforce.

If you’re not sure whether you are ready for retirement or not, below are the signs that will tell you that you aren’t:

More often than not, there’s nothing that you look forward to when you wake up.

You still have your friends working at the company you just left.

You identify yourself as someone doing the job or holding the position you used to have.

You can’t think of any good reason to leave your house after you retire.

Tips for Preparing Yourself Psychologically for Retirement

1. You have to understand that as a human being, you are accustomed to a routine. Thus, it won’t be any easier to just change your habits and lifestyle. When you retire, it’s important that you have something ready to replace your structure. You need a hobby, a sport, a cause, a purpose, or even a part-time job. You can’t just dive into retirement without making a proper plan for how you’re going to spend time after that.

2. According to research, gradually transitioning into retirement is so much better than retiring abruptly. If you go cold turkey, you will face a huge risk of getting depressed and feeling unhappy with your life. It is recommended that you take some sort of transitional approach into retirement. This means considering getting a temporary job, or an encore career perhaps.

3. Acceptance is also vital. In order for you to transition into retirement smoothly, you have to accept the fact that you will no longer be the person that you are in your job. You need to adjust to a different identity. Perhaps this time you will be a full-time parent, a grandparent, a volunteer, or others. What’s important is that you have awareness of how your life will change and how different your identity will become.

Retirement is usually more complicated than many of us think.

It’s not only about quitting a job or ending one’s career. This stage in your life will change the way you look at things. Thus, you have to think about it seriously, and if possible, work with a life coach who can help you prepare for your retirement. A life coach will also play an important role in your adjustment to your new life as a retiree.